The Ancient Art of Hanging Ten
by StormyCloudyRainy
Summary: Raimundo wants to teach his friends how to surf. Shenanigans follow.


"Its good to be home!" Raimundo said throwing his arms wide letting the sun hit his bare chest with its warm rays. He breathed in deep the salty sea air letting it sweep into every part of his being. NOTHING beat the warm sunny beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Okay one thing beat them, _surfing _in Rio. He could remember his first time learning how to surf here with his oldest brother. He had been only eight at that time, and boy had he sucked! He remembered ever wipe out, not to mention all the salt water he had swallowed. But his brother had been there to get him every time, to plop him back on his board and try again. Now, you couldn't pull him away from a great (or dangerous) wave. He looked out over the ocean, beaming at the sight.

"The waves look great out there. You guys coming or what?" he asked looking over his shoulder at his fellow monks and friends.

"Ready as we'll ever be I reckon." the big Texan named Clay said striding up Raimundo. "You sure about this Rai?"

"You bet! You guys haven't lived till you know what its like to surf a wave."

"How hard can it be Clay, Raimundo can do it." said Omi walking up to them.

"Says the boy in water wings." Raimundo said under his breath.

"This will be fantastic!" said a surf board, well it was in fact Ping-Pong but seeing as the only visible thing of him could see was his hands, it was hard to tell the difference. "When may we begin?"

"Just waiting on Kim." Raimundo shrugged. "She's probably color coordinating her swim suit to her board."

"I heard that." the boys all looked back to see Kimiko coming up over the dunes. Raimundo's tongue failed him as she came down clad in a scarlet two piece, her thin white cover-up blowing in the sea breeze.

"Whoooee Kimiko, you look better than a table of steak dinners." Clay said tipping his ever present hat to her.

"Thanks, coming from you that;s a big compliment." she laughed. She turned to Raimundo who was still having trouble forming a coherent sentence. "You going to show us how this works or what?"

"Right," he said mentally slapping himself. "First off, do you have your board strapped to your leg?"

"Yup," they all nodded.

"Okay then let hit the waves!" he said running off for the ocean his friends right on his heels.

"What did the ocean ever do to you Raimundo?" Omi asked as they ran after the Dragon of wind.

"Okay guys, I'll show you how to best get on your boards." Raimundo said pushing himself up onto his surf board. "Once you get on lay flat, that way you can paddle." Raimundo watch with no small amount of amusement as his friends struggled to climb onto their boards. He was pretty sure Omi cheated by using his element to help him, but he decided to ignore it.

"You guys got it?"

"Yup," Kimiko said.

"All set here partner," said Clay.

"I am ready to ten the hang!"

"That's Hang Ten Omi."

"Thank makes no sense at all."

"I'm ready, but I may need a pair of oars." Ping-Pong said looking around at the board.

"Alright, lets get out a ways and then you can practice standing." Raimundo said paddling forward. Once they had reached a spot he liked he stopped the persecution of paddlers.

"Now just bring you knees up, like your getting ready to crouch, then just stand up." he looked down at all his friends, "Now you try."

Raimundo tried not to chuckle as each of his friends shakily tried to stand. They all fell at least several times, all except Ping-Pong who if he did fall only fell onto he board. After a few more tries they were standing fairly well.

"Okay now we'll try to enter a wave." he said paddling out to the waves.

"Rai are you sure about this," Kimiko asked. "I mean we can barely stand without falling."

"You don't learn how to surf with out getting wet Kim. Your going to wipe out, but that's why I'm here. And since you brought it up, you can go first."

"ME!?" Kimiko squeaked.

"Yup lets go fire girl!" Raimundo said pushing Kimiko's board.

"Ah...okay."

They made there way out to the waves the water lapping up on the boards. Kimiko would never let him know but she was incredibly nervous. She had never been the biggest fan of water. Perhaps it was her element, perhaps it was the fact that one of her biggest fears was drowning. Of course she had not told anyone this, and she didn't want her friends to think she was coward. So she haad gone along with other when Rai offered to teach them how to surf. But now facing down the crashing waters she felt her courage failing her.

"Ready Kim?" asked Raimundo.

"No, no I can't do this Rai."

"Sure you can. All you got to do is-"

"No Rai I really can't do it! Look just go back and help the others, I'll watch. I...I can't do it." Raimundo stared at her for a moment. He didn't think she would be this scared. He didn't want to see her upset, but he knew he would hate it even more if he let her fear beat her. No he wasn't going to let that happen.

"Come on." he said tieing his leg strap to her board.

"What are you doing?"

"Teaching." he said and began paddling out to the waves.

"I told you Rai, I can't do it,"

"Yeah and I'm telling you you can. Okay here it comes Kim get ready."

"Rai!"

"Lets go!" he said taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. What happened next was a blur for her. She remembered closing her eyes but when she opened them seeing a sparkling funnel of water before her eyes. At first it terrified her, but suddenly the beauty of it seemed so much more real than the fear. She was doing it...she was surfing. Then everything went up in a blur of blue and darkness. She was under water and trying to swim to the surface. She felt a hand grab hers and suddenly she was back on the surface. She gasped and coughed the sting of the salt water filling her nose.

"Kim! You okay?" she looked up to see Raimundo next to her. He looked worried, his wet brown hair falling into his forest green eyes. She smiled back up at him.

"Lets do it again."

"What?" he asked genuan shock on his face.

"I was doing it Rai, I can't give up now. Come on, lets go for it again." his smile must have reached from one ear to the next.

"All right! Come on lets get the others!"

The sun was setting by the time the five young monks dragged there tiered bodies out of the water. They all sat down on the warm sand laughing and joking about the events of the afternoon.

"I thought for sure I was going to die laughing when Clay wiped out into you Rai!" Kimiko laughed.

"Hey I thought I was going to die period." Rai laughed back.

"Hey hey if that was a shot at my weight..." Clay said shacking his finger at Raimundo.

"I would never!" Raimundo said with mock sincerity.

"This was a most excellent exercise!" Omi said his little chest puffing. "I would not be surprised if I became the best surfer as well as warrior!"

"You gunna have to loose the water wing first bud." Kimiko teased. "What did you think Ping-Pong?"

"Oh it was tres magnifiqic! I only wish I was not so small as to need Raimundo's wind to propel me forward."

"Hey no sweat dude," Raimundo said fist bumping the little monk.

"Well I don't know about ya'll but I'm plumb beat. Not to mention I could eat a whole head of cattle. Anybody up for some grub?" asked Clay.

"Moms got dinner for us back home." Raimundo said. "Come on lets get back before my family eats everything." and with that the five friends made their way back to the Predrosa household for a warm home cooked meal. The perfect end to a perfect day.


End file.
